My Master is My Lover
Meeting Vassar
• Chapter Ten •
Meeting VassarHe was alone, Zero could tell that much from the empty warmth that the blanket gave off. He felt different though, almost a clean sort of feeling. He didn’t care though. Orrick had promised he wasn’t going to leave, had it only been for that one moment? Zero turned onto the side that wasn’t sore and sighed. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to fall back to sleep, wishing himself back in the hall and that none of it had ever happened.
He heard a purr and knew that it did happen. Opening an eye he saw Evadne staring at him from the edge of the bed. Zero smiled a little, and Evadne took that as his cue to hop up onto the bed.
“Evadne, what did I tell you? Zero needs his sleep.”
Zero turned back onto his back and turned his head to see where exactly in the room Orrick was. He was actually walking into the room, with a tray in his hands and a creature riding on his shoulder. Approaching the bed, Orrick set the tray down onto the table before reaching down and pressing the back of his hand to Zero’s forehead.
“You really need to stop trying to give me a heart attack,” Orrick said.
“What?”
“Two nights ago after we...” Zero noticed a blush creep up Orrick’s neck before he cleared his throat. “Shortly after we fell asleep, you broke into a horrible fever. I wasn’t sure if you were ever going to come out of it, but the fever broke sometime last night. Myself, Evadne, and this guy, has barely left your side.”
“Who is that?” Zero asked, nodding to the creature that was staring intently from Orrick’s shoulder.
“He’s your familiar.”
“My familiar?”
“Most everyone in the world has a familiar. An animal which is special and can help that person in many ways. Evadne is mine, and this guy is yours. He’s the one that brought you back to life after Amora...”
Zero slowly sat up and reached out to pet his familiar. That’s when he realized the beady eyed creature was a ring tailed lemur. “What his name?”
The lemur hopped off Orrick’s shoulder onto the bed and approached Zero.
“He doesn’t have one. You’re supposed to give it to him.”
“Oh?” Zero looked at the lemur, tilting his head to the side. The animal followed his movements causing Zero to laugh. After a moment, Zero said, “I like Vassar.”
“What’s that mean?” Orrick asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Servant. Not because I think of him as one, but because that’s what I am.”
Orrick looked away.
Vassar made that strange sound that sounded familiar to Zero before walking over to Evadne and climbed onto her back.
“How did he get here?” Zero asked.
“Shortly after I found you, I asked Evadne if you had a familiar. She disappeared for about an hour before returning with him. I’m glad that she did though.”
Zero nodded, “me too.” Zero looked at Orrick, who was still staring off at nothing. Slowly, almost timidly, Zero reached out a hand and touched the side of his cheek. “Orrick?”
Orrick turned to him, and looked at him. He looked as if he were about to say something but instead, he suddenly lowered his head into Zero’s lap and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I’m sorry Zero. I’ve put so much thought into it, but I can’t let you go, I just can’t”
A/N: Slaveneko, you make a good point about the last chapter. Perhaps he had whitnessed some of the other slaves? I'll have to make a side note about that and add something in my re-write about how he knows so much.blah. when I tried to add this last night, aff was on maitnence mode